York firm makes a fresh start with £900,000 investment in growth

YORK family business, Langlands Garden Centres, have been able to expand with the acquisition of a centre in Sheffield.

The firm already has operations in Shiptonthorpe and Leeds.

Now it has acquired Garden Style in Loxley ,Sheffield, with the help of a £900,000 acquisition loan from HSBC.

The HSBC-funded acquisition of Garden Style, soon to be rebranded as Langlands Loxley, will bolster the firm’s online shopping offering, making a bigger selection of products available to customers.

Garden Style’s 20 staff will be retained following the acquisition, and intends to grow the Sheffield team, hiring locally, as well as provide new training opportunities to existing staff.

Langlands director James Ducker said: “The purchase of this new location is integral to Langlands’ plans for growth and expansion within the Yorkshire region, and it would not have been possible without HSBC’s support.

“Partnering with HSBC has helped us make a mark in Sheffield, which is an important location for us given its proximity to our existing centres, and the fact that there are few prominent garden centres with a similar offering to ours in the region.

“As we bring Langlands’ exceptional quality and service standards to Sheffield, I look forward to continuing our successful relationship with HSBC.”

Simon Cook, HSBC’s relationship director, North Yorkshire & Humber Corporate Banking, said: “Langlands is a family-built and run business which has proven to be one of the best in its category for more than 50 years. We are proud to be part of Langlands’ continued progress and growth ambitions through our business banking support.”

Originally a nursery, Langlands was founded by Walter Ducker as a garden centre in Shiptonthorpe in 1964. The company is now run by the third generation of the Ducker family.